Si Qing's slender body stiffened. He steeled himself and greeted Si Ming, "Good afternoon, Teacher."
The response to Si Qing was the man's instantly vanishing figure and the sinister glare he shot before disappearing.
The teacher was angry.
A century of living together day and night had long allowed Si Qing to become familiar with the man's emotional shifts.
He looked at the object in his hand, feeling that he couldn't just wait for death like this. Otherwise, this thing would surely meet the same fate as the Extinguished Moon Flower.
When Si Ming did not leave the divine temple, he would usually cultivate in the main hall.
Si Qing put the object in his hand away safely and, for the first time at a time other than saying "Good morning" or "Good night," went to the main hall that belonged to Si Ming.
Si Ming was sitting high on his throne, cultivating. He did not open his eyes when Si Qing arrived, as if completely unaware of his presence.
Everything in the divine temple was under Si Ming's control—it was impossible for him not to know. Clearly, his mood was very displeased.
Si Qing pressed his thin, pale lips together slightly. He walked to Si Ming's side, but just as he was about to speak, his wrist was suddenly grabbed. A pulling force yanked him forward.
And in front of him was Si Ming. He fell directly into Si Ming's embrace, the distance between them now close enough to feel each other's breath.
The one who had pulled Si Qing was Si Ming. Caught off guard, Si Qing was somewhat unable to react.
"Teacher?" Si Qing stared wide-eyed in astonishment. His hands braced against Si Ming's chest, stiff and not daring to move a muscle.
But it seemed Si Ming had pulled him only to take the object he was carrying, because the next second, a diamond-shaped transparent crystal was floating in Si Ming's hand. It was exactly what Si Qing had been afraid to leave in the study, choosing instead to carry it with him for fear the man would destroy it.
The diamond-shaped transparent crystal emitted a pure white glow. It was a divine spark—something all living beings across the three thousand worlds longed to obtain.
Yet here, it was merely a toy. A toy that had captivated Si Qing to the point of neglecting the man.
Si Ming looked down at Si Qing, his tone indifferent and devoid of warmth. "Do you like it that much?"
Si Qing could no longer care about their position. Hearing the man's tone, he felt a chill down his spine. "...N-No, I don't."
Si Ming let out a faint, cold laugh upon hearing this. His hand, which held the floating divine spark, clenched ruthlessly.
"Teacher!" Si Qing's eyes widened. Instinctively, he grabbed Si Ming's hand, trying to stop him from destroying the divine spark.
Although the two had been together for nearly a century, such intimate contact was almost unheard of, let alone directly touching the other's skin.
The unfamiliar temperature made Si Qing freeze for a moment, but he stubbornly held onto Si Ming's hand. Because if he let go, Si Ming would absolutely crush the divine spark without mercy.
He believed Si Ming was fully capable of it—even if the divine spark was something countless beings dreamed of obtaining.
Si Qing knew that being forceful was wrong and wouldn't work. He looked pitifully at the indifferent man before him, his beautiful eyes carrying a trace of pleading.
With his exquisitely handsome features, few could refuse his requests when he gazed at them with such a pitiable expression.
It had always been this way with Si Ming.
Every time Si Qing looked at Him like this, He would fetch things for him—a habit that had lasted over a century.
But this time was different.
Si Ming had frozen the moment Si Qing reached out to Him, His muscles tensing and His thin lips pressing tightly together.
He looked down at the stunningly beautiful youth before Him. The other's clear, lovely pupils reflected His image, as if He were his entire world. For a moment, an unfamiliar emotion surged from His heart, causing His heartbeat to falter. His blood raced, and an involuntary reaction stirred in a place it shouldn't.
Si Ming's body stiffened instantly. Although He had never experienced such a reaction before, He was not ignorant.
He was actually having a physical response to His own student.
His body grew even more rigid, and in the next second, His figure vanished from the spot—for the first time, almost like a frantic escape.
......
In the divine hall's library, Si Qing held his favorite research material but felt distracted.
The man seemed to be paying less attention to him lately—no longer accompanying him during study sessions, even avoiding him. Aside from their morning and evening greetings, he hardly ever saw Him.
It was as if He had suddenly realized His previous behavior was improper and was now setting everything right.
Si Qing should have been happy. He could do anything without worrying about angering the man, yet he couldn't bring himself to feel joy. Instead, he felt somewhat unaccustomed, like a young creature suddenly left unattended by the adults in its life.
Habit was a frightening thing, and even Si Qing felt unsettled by the change.
He quickly adjusted his mindset. When a young creature grows up, it shouldn't rely on adults anymore; he too needed to adapt to life without his teacher.
Si Qing had been conscious for nearly millennia—both his mind and thinking had long matured beyond that of a young creature.
But Si Qing believed age should be counted from the time of birth, so he had always positioned himself as a youngling, never realizing that a certain man had never seen him as one.
And indeed, He never had.
In the main hall of the divine temple, Si Ming watched the scene on the screen before Him with an unreadable expression, His eyes barely blinking.
He had clearly long since abandoned any thought of cultivation, and had long been unable to focus on it anyway.
Although He had not spent time with the youth these past few days, His gaze had never left him. The longer He watched, the deeper and more unfathomable His gaze became, so intense that it was frightening to behold.
He had only ever treated the youth as a pet—a dispensable pet, nothing more.
But could an owner develop desire for their pet?
No.
Si Ming knew very well that it was impossible. Yet, merely thinking of the word "desire" made the depths of His eyes grow even darker, and His gaze toward the youth carried a hint of an indescribable, predatory intensity.
After an unknowable amount of time, the image before Si Ming vanished. He slowly closed His eyes, veiling the terrifying dominance and hunger within them.
The next instant, a beautiful, slender figure appeared in the great hall. It was Si Qing, the very youth from the vanished scene.
Si Qing bowed to Si Ming with well-mannered obedience. "Teacher, it is getting late. I will take my leave now."
"Goodnight, Teacher."
Without opening His eyes, Si Ming responded with a detached, "Mm."
***
Si Qing noticed that his Teacher seemed to have returned to His former self. He was no longer avoiding him. As before, He accompanied him while he studied, and brought him various gifts as He always had.
It seemed as though everything had returned to how it was before.
No, it wasn't just a return to the origin. The relationship between the two had grown even closer. The Teacher now spent even more time with him, and there were even occasional moments of physical intimacy that went beyond what existed before.
For instance, his Teacher would sit beside him, watching him research and cultivate. When he made a mistake, He would take his hand and guide him through the correct form, no different from the teacher-student relationships described in books.
At first, Si Qing was somewhat unaccustomed to it. After all, since his creation, he had never been close to anyone—not even his Teacher had been this familiar with him before.
However, habit is a formidable thing. As time passed, Si Qing gradually grew accustomed to his Teacher's occasional closeness.
The books said that physical contact is also a way to convey emotion.
Thank you for the chapter!!
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